Grassley: Let System Decide Republican Nominee

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says he won’t be endorsing any of the GOP presidential candidates before the Iowa caucuses, preferring to let the system winnow out the would-be contenders.

Besides, he told reporters Thursday in a conference call, his endorsement of one candidate over the others wouldn’t “make a significant difference” given the obvious split among Iowa Republicans over the candidates.

“I made a decision that I’m not going to endorse anybody,” he said, according to the Des Moines Register. “We’ve got several good candidates and I think I’m willing to let the system go.”

Grassley told reporters, however, that none of the GOP presidential hopefuls has been “courting it” real hard.

He mentioned that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney stopped by his office on Capitol Hill but didn’t ask for his endorsement. Neither has Texas Gov. Rick Perry or Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.

He said, however, that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich did ask, and so did former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.